EP0470059A1 - Bag opening device for automatically opening plastic bags in supermarket check-out counters incorporating bag dispensing machines - Google Patents

Bag opening device for automatically opening plastic bags in supermarket check-out counters incorporating bag dispensing machines Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0470059A1
EP0470059A1 EP91830341A EP91830341A EP0470059A1 EP 0470059 A1 EP0470059 A1 EP 0470059A1 EP 91830341 A EP91830341 A EP 91830341A EP 91830341 A EP91830341 A EP 91830341A EP 0470059 A1 EP0470059 A1 EP 0470059A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
pliers
bag
jaws
opening
pair
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP91830341A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Angelo Cappi
Renato Rimondi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
AWAX Progettazione e Ricerca SRL
Original Assignee
AWAX Progettazione e Ricerca SRL
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by AWAX Progettazione e Ricerca SRL filed Critical AWAX Progettazione e Ricerca SRL
Publication of EP0470059A1 publication Critical patent/EP0470059A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B1/00—Packaging fluent solid material, e.g. powders, granular or loose fibrous material, loose masses of small articles, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
    • B65B43/26—Opening or distending bags; Opening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks
    • B65B43/30—Opening or distending bags; Opening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks by grippers engaging opposed walls, e.g. suction-operated

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the supermarket check-out counters incorporating plastic bags dispensing machines and, more particularly, a device for automatically opening the said bags before they get filled.
  • All the above prior art apparatus and machines comprise a device for opening the plastic bags one at a time, and for keeping them open as long as they are filled by the customer and/or the check-out counter operator.
  • Such known devices though being very functional and reliable, are not without inconveniences, such as jamming, tearing of the bag edges, and so on.
  • a device comprising a pair of pliers capable of horizontal reciprocating motion on motor-driven guides and of grasping and opening out the two opposite sides of a bag fed by conveyor belts, wherein each pliers consists of two jaws hinged at the guides and pushed against each other by a spring interposed between at their ends, one end of each pliers being provided with a roller suitable to interact with an opening and closing device of the pliers itself.
  • the bag opening device according to the present invention has the advantage of having a very simple structure, and therefore the maximum reliability. Another advantage of the bag opening device accordig to the present invention is of economic nature, since its simple structure requires reduced manufacturing costs.
  • the bag opening device essentially comprises the pair of pliers 1, 2, secured to guides 3, 4, respectively, and capable both of a horizontal reciprocating motion along rail 5 under the action of a motor reducer not shown in the drawing.
  • the bag opening device is mounted on the automatic filling machines below the mouth through which are introduced the items to be inserted in the bags, as well as near the bag dispensing device. Of the latter are visible in the figure the pairs of bag feeding belts 6, 6′ and 7, 7′.
  • a bag 8 which, as it is still held at one side between the pair of feeding belts 6, 6′and between the pair of feeding belts 7, 7′ at the other side, has been grasped and opened by pliers 1 and 2.
  • the to-and-fro movement of guides 3 and 4 along rail 5 is coordinated in such a way that they progressively and concurrently move towards or away from each other.
  • the position of maximum mutual distance of guides 3 and 4 roughly corresponds to that illustrated in Fig. 1, namely that wherein pliers 1 and 2, driven by the guides, made bag 8, that they grasped when they were in their position of maximum mutual approachment, completely open out.
  • the bag opening device is mounted near the bag feeding belts 6, 6′ and 7, 7′, in such a way that when pliers 1 and 2 are in their maximum approachment position, they come in contact with bag 8 and can thus grasp it and then open it up.
  • Pliers 1 consists of an upper jaw 9 (not visible in the figure) and of a lower jaw 9′ (not visible in the figure either) which are pushed towards each other by springs located between their ends near pins 10 (not visible in the figure) and 10′, by which jaws 9 and 9′, respectively, are hinged at guide 3.
  • pliers 2 consists of an upper jaw 11 hinged at guide 4 by means of pin 12, and of a lower jaw 11′ (not visible) hinged at guide 4 by means of pin 12′ (not visible). Jaws 11 and 11′of pliers 2 too are pushed against each other by springs interposed between their ends near pins 12 and 12′.
  • pins 10, 10′, as well as 12, 12′ are keyed Othe pairs of toothed wheels 13, 13′ and 14, 14′, respectively, each being integral with one jaw 9, 9′ and 11, 11′.
  • the toothed wheels of each pair mesh with one another in such a way that the movement of a wheel in one direction causes the movement of the other wheel in the opposite direction.
  • the upper jaws of each pliers have, on their outer end, a roller 18 or 19 having the function of controlling the opening of pliers 1 and 2, as will be better described hereinafter.
  • Both the upper and the lower jaws of both pliers have their inner ends, namely those facing each other, coated with a rubberized material 15 which is for providing a firm grip of the pliers on the slippery plastic material of which bags 8 to be grasped and opened are made.
  • guides 3 and 4 in the moment when, after reaching their maximum approachment position, are about to start moving mutually apart, as illustrated by the two arrows shown on rail 5.
  • rollers 18 and 19 of the two pliers, as well as springs 16 and 17 which push against each other jaws 9, 9′, which form pliers 1, and jaws 11, 11′, which form pliers 2, respectively.
  • Each pliers has already held between its rubberized ends 15 the bag 8, which had been conveyed to that point by the feeding belts 6, 6′ and 7, 7′.
  • Fig. 2A is shown, on an enlarged scale, the area comprised within the circle in Fig. 2, wherein can be seen bag 8, which has been conveyed to that point by the conveyor belts 6, 7′, as it is being held between jaws 9, 9′of pliers 1 and jaws 11, 11′ of pliers 2. More precisely, bag 8 is vertically held between the facing rubberized ends 15 of pliers 1 and 2, whilst it is horizontally grasped between the facing rubberized facing ends of jaws 9, 9′ of pliers 1 and of jaws 11, 11′ of pliers 2, so that pliers 1 horizontally grasps the side 8′ of bag 8 and pliers 2 horizontally grasps the side 8" of the same bag. How this - being an important feature of the present invention - occurred, will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to Fig. 2B.
  • Fig. 2B shows the same part of the device illustrated in Fig. 2A, but in a previous operative step.
  • Fig. 2B shows the moment wherein jaws 9, 9′ and 11, 11′ of pliers 1 and 2 are closing, the latter having by that time entirely performed their mutual approachment motion.
  • the front areas of the rubberized ends 15 of jaws 9 and 9′ of pliers 1 have come in contact with one side of bag 8 at points 20 and 21, whilst at points 20′ and 21′ the rubberized front ends of jaws 11 and 11′ of pliers 2 have come in contact with the opposite side of the bag.
  • Fig. 2 is also shown the mechanism which, by cooperating with the above rollers 18 and 19, makes pliers 1 and 2 open and close during their mutual moving near and apart.
  • a mechanism consists, as far as pliers 1 is concerned, of a stop 24 with the ends pivoted at the connecting rods 25 and 26, which have in turn their other end rotatably fastened to the machine frame.
  • the central part of the connecting rod 26 is fastened to one end of spring 27, the other end of which is fixed to the remaining body of the machine.
  • the mechanism is completed by an abutment 28 which constrains the stroke of the stop rightwards, i.e. in the direction of mutual approachment of pliers 1 and 2.
  • the analogous opening and closing device of pliers 2 comprises the movable stop 24′ pivoted at the connecting rods 25′ and 26′, as well as the return spring 27′ and the abutment 28′.
  • roller 18 of pliers 1 freely runs towards the left, sliding under stop 24, which does not perform, at this stage, its real stop function because it is lifted upwards thanks to the leftwards rotation of the connecting rods 25 and 26.
  • Such a rotation also involves the drawing of stop 24 away from abutment 28, as well as the tensioning of the return spring 27.
  • the rightwards shifting of pliers 2 occurs as roller 19 freely runs under stop 24′ which lifts up slightly and shifts towards the right drawing away from abutment 28′ and causing the tensioning of the return spring 27′.
  • pliers 1 and 2 as they depart from each other under the action of guides 3 and 4 which run along rail 5 in the direction indicated by the arrow, cause the mutual setting apart of loops 22 and 23 firmly grasped between said pliers, and therefore the separation of the side 8′ from the side 8" of the bag, which is thus opened.
  • Fig. 4 shows the moment where pliers 1 and 2 reach their position of maximum mutual distance, with consequent complete opening of the bag 8, whose loops 22 and 23 they firmly hold.
  • roller 18 of pliers 1 has gone past stop 24 which, under the action of the return spring 27, is restored to its intial position, leaning against abutment 28.
  • the roller 19 disengaging from stop 24′ makes the latter return to its initial position against abutment 28′ under the action of the return spring 27′.
  • the maximum opening of bag 8 also involves the disengagement thereof from the conveyor belts; as it can be seen in the figure, in fact, the bag is no more held between belts 6 and 6′, unlike in the positions illustrated in Figgs. 1 and 3.
  • bag 8 Once bag 8 has been fully opened, it can be filled with the items purchased at the supermarket′s until all the available room in the bag has been completely occupied, or until there are no more items to insert into the bag. Once it has been filled, bag 8 should be ejected from the machine and that may occur after it has been released by pliers 1 and 2 in the way described hereinafter.
  • Fig. 5 shows the opening of pliers 1 and 2, which occurs during their mutual approachment motion.
  • roller 18 hits against stop 24 which this time does not shift to let said roller slide, being thwarted by abutment 28.
  • Roller 18 is therefore compelled to avoid stop 24 by passing under it.
  • the lowering of roller 18 fastened to one end of jaw 9 of pliers 1 involves the raising of the opposite end of that jaw, together with the rotation of the toothed wheel 13 integral with said jaw, as well as of the toothed wheel 13′ in mesh with the toothed wheel 13.
  • Such a rotation involves the spreading apart of jaws 9 and 9′ of pliers 1, and therefore the opening of the latter and the release of bag 8.
  • pliers 1 and 2 After releasing the already filled bag 8, pliers 1 and 2 go on in their mutual approachment motion, and remain open as long as rollers 18 and 19 slide under the stops 24 and 24′, respectively. When said rollers have gone past the ends of the relevant stops, they do not counteract any more the force of springs 16 and 17 which push again jaws 9, 9′ of pliers 1 and jaws 11, 11′ of pliers 2 against each other. During such closing motion of pliers 1 and 2, they get a good grip on the sides of bag 8, as illustrated in Fig. 2B, and grasp the loops 22 and 23 that are thus formed, as illustrated in Fig. 2A. The device has thus returned to the position shown in Fig. 2 to start a new operative cycle, as above described.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
  • Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Apparatuses For Manual Packaging Operations (AREA)
EP91830341A 1990-08-01 1991-07-30 Bag opening device for automatically opening plastic bags in supermarket check-out counters incorporating bag dispensing machines Withdrawn EP0470059A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT2117090 1990-08-01
IT02117090A IT1243477B (it) 1990-08-01 1990-08-01 Dispositivo apriborse per l'apertura automatica delle borse in plastica in casse di supermercati incorporanti macchine erogatrici di borse

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0470059A1 true EP0470059A1 (en) 1992-02-05

Family

ID=11177817

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP91830341A Withdrawn EP0470059A1 (en) 1990-08-01 1991-07-30 Bag opening device for automatically opening plastic bags in supermarket check-out counters incorporating bag dispensing machines

Country Status (11)

Country Link
US (1) US5142840A (es)
EP (1) EP0470059A1 (es)
JP (1) JPH04279427A (es)
KR (1) KR920004241A (es)
AR (1) AR247172A1 (es)
AU (1) AU8124991A (es)
BR (1) BR9103283A (es)
CA (1) CA2047919A1 (es)
IE (1) IE912699A1 (es)
IT (1) IT1243477B (es)
ZA (1) ZA916018B (es)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5195303A (en) * 1992-05-29 1993-03-23 Philip Morris Incorporated Apparatus for automatic bagging of compressed tobacco
US5822955A (en) * 1993-10-29 1998-10-20 Packaged Ice, Inc. Grip for a grasping device
US5580829A (en) * 1994-09-30 1996-12-03 Motorola, Inc. Method for minimizing unwanted metallization in periphery die on a multi-site wafer
DE19510669A1 (de) * 1995-03-27 1996-10-02 P S Spezial Maschf Gmbh Vorrichtung zum Öffnen eines Beutels
US5799465A (en) * 1996-07-12 1998-09-01 Optima Corporation Bag filling station
EP3040287B1 (en) * 2014-11-05 2016-12-28 AnHui Yongcheng Electronic & Mechanical Technology Co., LTD. Bionic bag opening device for automatic filling line

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1294669A (fr) * 1961-07-11 1962-05-26 Machf V H Jansen & Sutorius Nv Appareil pour le remplissage de sacs
NL8702001A (nl) * 1987-08-27 1989-03-16 Exploitatiemaatschappij H J Va Werkwijze en inrichting voor het in plat gevouwen hulsvormige verpakkingen brengen van produkten.

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3740922A (en) * 1971-07-06 1973-06-26 Vaclovas Plioplys Automated sack opening and feeding apparatus
GB1381823A (en) * 1972-02-07 1975-01-29 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Automatic packing apparatus
US4085822A (en) * 1975-12-04 1978-04-25 Mobil Oil Corporation Bag assembly and method and apparatus for loading individual bags
NL7711355A (nl) * 1977-10-17 1979-04-19 Moba Holding Barneveld Bv Inrichting en werkwijze voor het aanvatten van een zak.
US4835948A (en) * 1986-03-03 1989-06-06 Basic Packaging Systems, Inc. Bag filling machine
US4874354A (en) * 1987-04-29 1989-10-17 K & R Equipment, Incorporated Method and apparatus for automatically opening bags

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1294669A (fr) * 1961-07-11 1962-05-26 Machf V H Jansen & Sutorius Nv Appareil pour le remplissage de sacs
NL8702001A (nl) * 1987-08-27 1989-03-16 Exploitatiemaatschappij H J Va Werkwijze en inrichting voor het in plat gevouwen hulsvormige verpakkingen brengen van produkten.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH04279427A (ja) 1992-10-05
US5142840A (en) 1992-09-01
IT1243477B (it) 1994-06-15
ZA916018B (en) 1992-04-29
CA2047919A1 (en) 1992-02-02
IT9021170A0 (it) 1990-08-01
BR9103283A (pt) 1992-05-26
AR247172A1 (es) 1994-11-30
IE912699A1 (en) 1992-02-12
AU8124991A (en) 1992-02-06
KR920004241A (ko) 1992-03-27
IT9021170A1 (it) 1992-02-01

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